Track-sanding apparatus.



P. ROTHWELL.. TRACK SANDING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19, 1912. 1,03391 97, Patented Juy 23, 1912.

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' Inventor Attorneys Witnesses Witnesses P. ROTHWELL. TRACK SANDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED J'AN. 19, 1912.

Patented-July 23, 1912.

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vertical, longitudinal cross section through a FREDERICK ROTHWELL, 0F MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

TRACK-SANDING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2 3, 1912.

Application filed January 19, 1912. Serial No. 672,222.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK ROTHWELL, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Montreal, in the Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Track-Sanding Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to track Sanders.

In order to mo-re clearly disclose the construction, operation, and use of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of the present application.

Throughout the several figures of the drawings like reference characters designate the same parts.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a central,

sander, with the invention applied; Fig. 2 is a side elevation'of the same; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a locomotive with the invention applied to its sander; andFig. 4 is a central, vertical, longitudinal, cross section through the invention, detached.

The present improvement relates more especially to the air intake for breaking down the sand block or bridge which forms i-n the pipe leading from the sand box to the upper end of thedelivery pipe. There are three serious objections to overcome: first, freezing over of the outer end of the intake; second, clogging of the inner end of the intake by sand, and, third, freezing of sand which has become dampened by moist air passing through the intake. The present invention has been especially designed to avoid all of these objections., while at the same time requiring no particular or substantially altered construction or arrangement of the usual Sanders, for its application to them.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1

'indicates an elbow leading downwardly into the upper surface of the lower curved portion of the sand pipe 2, in such position as to deliver the induced air current downwardly on lto the upper surface of the column of sand which forms the block or bridge. Thus, the inlet end of this air inor free end of this elbow is .connected anis threaded a valve chamber 5 provided with.

a. long depending tubular skirt flange 6 having an outwardly beveled lower edge or rim 7. On the seat 8 of the lvalve chamber rests the gravity actua-ted ball Valve 9. Normally, when the injector is notl in operation, the weight of the ball valve 9 will keep the passage through the valve seat closed. The long skirt flange 6 prevents direct access of moist air to the valve chamber and thus prevents any possible freezing up of the ball valve. On the other hand,the outward bevel of the lower end of the skirt flange presents a very thin edge or line on which it is impossible for drops of moisture tov form or adhere. This prevents freezing over of the exposed open end of the intake.

By actual test and a great many working experiments, it has been found that ver litt-le, if any, moisture passes'through the intake and on to the sand in pipe 2-never enough to make any perceptible difference in the free flow of the vsand/from the pipe 2 into the delivery pipe.

Only one relative position of the device has been illustrated in the drawings. The device is here illustrated, as applied to the form of sander at present extensively in use.

It is obvious, however, that there are various other relative positions in which the device will work equally well. The main considerations to be borne in mind lare that the delivery end of the intake must lnot be in such y the inlet end must open in such a direction that water will flow away from it rather than into it; that the valve must be out of reach of moisture; and that the inlet end must be so constructed as to prevent accumulation-of water or drip. If the sand is taken direct from the sand boX insteadof throughl a 'sand pipe 2, the intake will be connected to the sand boX just'above its outlet or, if a short lstraight pipe or elbow pipe connect-ion is used instead of sand pipe 2, then 'the intake will be connected to this short p straight pipe or to the elbow pipe.

It is thought that the operation anduse of the-invention willbe clear froni the preceding detailed description.

Changes may be made in the construction,

arrangement, and disposition of the several parts of the invention Without in any way departing from the field and scope of the same and it is meant to Yinclude all such within this application wherein only a preferred form and arrangement has been disclosed.

I-Iaving thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a track sander, the combination with a hollow device through which the sand passes approximately in a horizontal direction toward the point of discharge upon the track, means for supplying sand to said device, of an air intake tube having its discharge end directed downward into said device for the purpose of breaking the sand bridge from above.

'2. In a track sander, the combination of a tube having an approximately horizontal part through which the sand iiows with an air intake tube discharging downwardly into the said horizontal part between the endsl thereof to break the sand bridge.

3. In a track sander, the combination of an insane? approximately horizontal tube containing sand which is caused to flow through the same, witha bent air intake tube, having its discharge end presented downward to the interior of said tube near the middle thereof for breaking the sand bridge therein.

4. In combination with an air-intake pipe for track sanders, a valve-casing suspended from its downwardly presented inlet and provided with a depending skirt-flange having an outwardly beveled lower edge.

5. In combination with a hollow sandcontaining part of a track sander, a bent air-intake tube for breaking up a sand bridge, said intake tube having both ends presented vertically downward, its discharge end being attached to said hollow part and its inlet end being provided with an upwardly opening ball-valve and a skirtlange depending below the same.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK RO'IIIWELL.

Vitnesses T. MYNARD, E. J GAUVIN. 

